*A/N: Again, the copyright stuff applies here, e-mail me if you want to
use a character, and please REVIEW! Us authors love reviews, it tells us
that our plot bunnies were successful!*
The Basin's Butterfly
Tzaaki sat in the branches of an old tree, waiting for something to arrive. To any civilized Dinotopian, she looks would seem wild and unkempt. She was the descendent of one of the original Middle Eastern tribes to arrive on the Island. Her chocolate eyes matched her hair, wildly thrown about by a life in the Basin. Her clothes clung tightly to her body, hand-sewn from fabric she gathered from ambushed caravans. Once, she lived a normal life, but fate changed it all and threw her headfirst into the Basin with nowhere to go. She won't divulge where she once lived, but a fire wiped out her town, and took the lives of her parents. From the burns she sustained, she became feverish and wandered into the Basin, keeping close to a stream. She eventually passed out.
Her first experience with the carnivores was on the edge of a knife. She just barely knew how to act properly, if she slipped up, the two young Giganotosaurs that found her would have killed her. She growled lightly, a sign that she was indeed alive, and managed a submissive balk. This pleased youngsters and they trotted off only to return with their father, a Giganotosaurus with bright green skin and yellow and purple splotches. He was Standtall, son of Stinktooth, the Giganotosaurus who let Arthur pass so very long ago. Persuaded by his children, he took the girl back to his mate, Firestorm. In keeping with the family tradition, Standtall had terrible breath as well, but Tzaaki would never mention it, in fear of retaliation.
Firestorm took pity on the small creature, lost and reeking of the infection ravaging her body. The female Giganotosaurus carefully collected herbs from the forest, and crushed them with her claw into a fine paste, and with the gentlest touch, applied them to Tzaaki's back, where the burns were the worst. She kept the children at bay, as well as her mate, and cooked whatever food they brought for the human, much to the disgust of her mate.
When Tzaaki was well enough to walk around, they took her on tours. They taught her the paths of the Basin, the names of plants and animals. She learned the words of the carnivores. They taught her the Gods and Goddesses they worshipped, all of warring and prosperity. She began calling herself Tzaaki, meaning "Butterfly," as it was the simplest word in the vocabulary, and one that didn't need any sort of guttural growl. Once named, she was accepted in her foster family's home range. They had made the effort to teach a human the Universal Language, so that she could wander freely and say she was a friend of Standtall.
And now she waited for word on what she would be doing to the world she left.
There was the high-pitch call of the Skybax and riders that patrolled the area, watching for any attacks. The birds in the trees chattered to each other, and far away, the rain dripped off the large leaves of the canopy. She waited patiently, almost in a trance, listening to the rhythms of the forest around her.
After what seemed like hours, she heard the squawk of the Dimorphodon she was waiting for. She called to it, leaning forward so she didn't blend in as much, and the small Pterosaur lighted next to her.
"Message for Tzaaki." It chirped, "From Anthony. 'I am in Chandara. Send me a message if you are coming. I sent this messenger with a note as well, as it would be too long to say here.'" The small messenger shook it's head and handed her a parchment, folded and rolled enough to fit in the pouch the Dimorphodon carried.
"No return message. Thank you." Tzaaki said in her best Dinotopian, and handed the small messenger a treat. It flew off back in the direction from where it had come. Her Dinotopian was very poor due to the years of not speaking it regularly.
She leaned back against the trunk of the tree, and unfolded the note. It outlined Anthony's original plan, and Tzaaki's role in it. She was to rally the carnivores against the Dinotopian people and have them attack when Anthony said so. He mentioned something about setting fire to a few cities as well. She refolded the paper and went back to meditating in the calm forest.
A slight snuffling sound broke her peace and she looked down. The noise belonged to the broad, pinkish nose of her younger "brother," Grandtooth.
"Grandtooth, what are you doing?" She touched her "brother" on the tip of the snout.
"Looking for you." He answered, opening his jaws slightly, letting Tzaaki climb inside. "Caravan attack soon."
He turned and took Tzaaki back to her home range, dropping her in the wide nest then leaving again. She strapped her knife to her belt.
"I heard the Skybax, a caravan is coming by?" She asked Firestorm.
"Yes, Standtall is taking Grandtooth on his first raid. They are meeting a few others of Brassclaw's family." Firestorm leaned over and nudged her human daughter with her snout. "There is no need for the knife."
"Alright." Tzaaki unclipped the knife. "I recieved a message from a human in Chandara. He wants me to help destroy some of the humans. He asks for our help. He says that if he succeeds, he'll release us from the forest and let us return to our original ranges."
"Really? I remember my mother telling me about the home range of my family. We once lived where those raptors reside today." Firestorm closed her eyes and sighed. "But disrupting life now would be confusing. We are so accustomed to the areas we are now, however, it would let the raptors return to their ranges in the Plains and Desert."
"Yes. Pesky raptors." Tzaaki sighed. "Mother. May I go to Chandara to find this human?"
Firestorm looked surprised. "Yes. Will you come back to us?"
"Of course!" Tzaaki re-clipped the knife to her belt and hugged her saurian mother on the leg.
"Tzaaki? Would you like Short Hop to prepare you food for the travel? I know how much you enjoy the smoked and dried meats and fruits. I believe he has some." Firestorm said, before her daughter could run too far.
"Yes! That is one raptor that isn't pesky!" Tzaaki said, heading off towards the raptor's den.
"Breathe deep, run fast! Good luck!" Firestorm called, watching her daughter leave. How strange was it that she loved a human as she loves her own offspring? Her heritage guaranteed her safety. Her spirit never died or was crushed. Before she had chosen Tzaaki for herself, Firestorm wanted to name her Phoenix Spirit. She had heard stories of the Phoenix in the Outside World, the spirit that arises from it's own ashes, most powerful of all. Firestorm settled down in the nest for a rest, thinking of her little human daughter. No, she wasn't human; she was a Giganotosaurus, trapped in a human body.
The Basin's Butterfly
Tzaaki sat in the branches of an old tree, waiting for something to arrive. To any civilized Dinotopian, she looks would seem wild and unkempt. She was the descendent of one of the original Middle Eastern tribes to arrive on the Island. Her chocolate eyes matched her hair, wildly thrown about by a life in the Basin. Her clothes clung tightly to her body, hand-sewn from fabric she gathered from ambushed caravans. Once, she lived a normal life, but fate changed it all and threw her headfirst into the Basin with nowhere to go. She won't divulge where she once lived, but a fire wiped out her town, and took the lives of her parents. From the burns she sustained, she became feverish and wandered into the Basin, keeping close to a stream. She eventually passed out.
Her first experience with the carnivores was on the edge of a knife. She just barely knew how to act properly, if she slipped up, the two young Giganotosaurs that found her would have killed her. She growled lightly, a sign that she was indeed alive, and managed a submissive balk. This pleased youngsters and they trotted off only to return with their father, a Giganotosaurus with bright green skin and yellow and purple splotches. He was Standtall, son of Stinktooth, the Giganotosaurus who let Arthur pass so very long ago. Persuaded by his children, he took the girl back to his mate, Firestorm. In keeping with the family tradition, Standtall had terrible breath as well, but Tzaaki would never mention it, in fear of retaliation.
Firestorm took pity on the small creature, lost and reeking of the infection ravaging her body. The female Giganotosaurus carefully collected herbs from the forest, and crushed them with her claw into a fine paste, and with the gentlest touch, applied them to Tzaaki's back, where the burns were the worst. She kept the children at bay, as well as her mate, and cooked whatever food they brought for the human, much to the disgust of her mate.
When Tzaaki was well enough to walk around, they took her on tours. They taught her the paths of the Basin, the names of plants and animals. She learned the words of the carnivores. They taught her the Gods and Goddesses they worshipped, all of warring and prosperity. She began calling herself Tzaaki, meaning "Butterfly," as it was the simplest word in the vocabulary, and one that didn't need any sort of guttural growl. Once named, she was accepted in her foster family's home range. They had made the effort to teach a human the Universal Language, so that she could wander freely and say she was a friend of Standtall.
And now she waited for word on what she would be doing to the world she left.
There was the high-pitch call of the Skybax and riders that patrolled the area, watching for any attacks. The birds in the trees chattered to each other, and far away, the rain dripped off the large leaves of the canopy. She waited patiently, almost in a trance, listening to the rhythms of the forest around her.
After what seemed like hours, she heard the squawk of the Dimorphodon she was waiting for. She called to it, leaning forward so she didn't blend in as much, and the small Pterosaur lighted next to her.
"Message for Tzaaki." It chirped, "From Anthony. 'I am in Chandara. Send me a message if you are coming. I sent this messenger with a note as well, as it would be too long to say here.'" The small messenger shook it's head and handed her a parchment, folded and rolled enough to fit in the pouch the Dimorphodon carried.
"No return message. Thank you." Tzaaki said in her best Dinotopian, and handed the small messenger a treat. It flew off back in the direction from where it had come. Her Dinotopian was very poor due to the years of not speaking it regularly.
She leaned back against the trunk of the tree, and unfolded the note. It outlined Anthony's original plan, and Tzaaki's role in it. She was to rally the carnivores against the Dinotopian people and have them attack when Anthony said so. He mentioned something about setting fire to a few cities as well. She refolded the paper and went back to meditating in the calm forest.
A slight snuffling sound broke her peace and she looked down. The noise belonged to the broad, pinkish nose of her younger "brother," Grandtooth.
"Grandtooth, what are you doing?" She touched her "brother" on the tip of the snout.
"Looking for you." He answered, opening his jaws slightly, letting Tzaaki climb inside. "Caravan attack soon."
He turned and took Tzaaki back to her home range, dropping her in the wide nest then leaving again. She strapped her knife to her belt.
"I heard the Skybax, a caravan is coming by?" She asked Firestorm.
"Yes, Standtall is taking Grandtooth on his first raid. They are meeting a few others of Brassclaw's family." Firestorm leaned over and nudged her human daughter with her snout. "There is no need for the knife."
"Alright." Tzaaki unclipped the knife. "I recieved a message from a human in Chandara. He wants me to help destroy some of the humans. He asks for our help. He says that if he succeeds, he'll release us from the forest and let us return to our original ranges."
"Really? I remember my mother telling me about the home range of my family. We once lived where those raptors reside today." Firestorm closed her eyes and sighed. "But disrupting life now would be confusing. We are so accustomed to the areas we are now, however, it would let the raptors return to their ranges in the Plains and Desert."
"Yes. Pesky raptors." Tzaaki sighed. "Mother. May I go to Chandara to find this human?"
Firestorm looked surprised. "Yes. Will you come back to us?"
"Of course!" Tzaaki re-clipped the knife to her belt and hugged her saurian mother on the leg.
"Tzaaki? Would you like Short Hop to prepare you food for the travel? I know how much you enjoy the smoked and dried meats and fruits. I believe he has some." Firestorm said, before her daughter could run too far.
"Yes! That is one raptor that isn't pesky!" Tzaaki said, heading off towards the raptor's den.
"Breathe deep, run fast! Good luck!" Firestorm called, watching her daughter leave. How strange was it that she loved a human as she loves her own offspring? Her heritage guaranteed her safety. Her spirit never died or was crushed. Before she had chosen Tzaaki for herself, Firestorm wanted to name her Phoenix Spirit. She had heard stories of the Phoenix in the Outside World, the spirit that arises from it's own ashes, most powerful of all. Firestorm settled down in the nest for a rest, thinking of her little human daughter. No, she wasn't human; she was a Giganotosaurus, trapped in a human body.